


Carry on Clara

by Secretsofdreams



Category: Doctor Who
Genre: Angst, Courage, F/M, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kindness, Multi, Other, Sadness, Strength, Whouffladi, feeling lost
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-08-17
Packaged: 2018-12-16 15:28:38
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11831604
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Secretsofdreams/pseuds/Secretsofdreams
Summary: Clara feels too small and scared to help save the world. Sometimes you just need to cry.





	Carry on Clara

As Clara ran towards her bedroom, tears streaming down her face, the Tardis had the good sense to not move it this time. Pushing the door open, she found her bed waiting for her to collapse onto it. She buried her face in the pillow and sobbed.  
  
Sometimes she felt so bloody useless. She and the Doctor had been travelling for ages now and they'd seen most of the human history, what humans did and how the Doctor would have to swoop in and save them from their own mistakes. Sometimes though, like today, he couldn't always stop the bad things from happening. A rather large group of people had died because one idiot had thought he knew better than the Doctor and the Doctor hadn't been quick enough to save them.   
  
Clara blamed herself though because she'd just stood there, powerless. She'd done nothing. What was the actual point of her? She was small and weak and didn't know anything outside the classroom, and now here she was crying into a pillow and wanting her dead mum. She felt pathetic.  
  
She was so busy crying that she didn't hear the door open or notice the mattress creak with the weight of another person. It was only when he put his hand on the small of her back that she realised the Doctor was sat beside her. He didn't move to hug her, it wasn't his thing; instead, the weight of his hand comforted her and made her feel less alone.  
  
"What's the point of any of it," she mumbled into the pillow, "they're all going to end up killing each other one way or another, they don't even need an alien invasion as an excuse anymore."   
  
"We can fly away then, never go back." The Doctor said, "you're right, we don't need to help them."  
  
Clara paused and then sat up. His facial expression was completely neutral and though he was uttering words that were completely out of character, he sounded sincere.   
"Just go? Live out the rest of our lives in peace right?"  
  
"Total peace, not even a traffic jam in the morning."  
  
"Right."  
  
"Okay then."  
  
The silence hung between them because she knew, and he DEFINITELY knew, that it didn't sit right with either of them. They knew what was right and they knew they cared about every living creature on whatever planet they were on. Yes sometimes people died and they had to fight a lot of evil things, but they carried on because it was kind and good and if they didn't do it, who would?  
  
The Doctor smiled and reached out to put a hand on her cheek, the other hand reaching into his pocket to pull out the sonic screwdriver.  
  
"See this Clara? It's just a funny old stick with a few buttons, nothing special. It's small and most would think it insignificant, but do you know what it does do?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"It helps." He gave her one of his wise old smiles and moved off the bed, pocketing the sonic as he walked towards the door. As he left, Clara felt her emotions become all soupy and mushy in her head and it exhausted her. Yes the Doctor had just compared how she was feeling about herself to his sonic, yes she still wanted to lie in bed and cry and yes, she wanted to go and help.   
  
She got off of the bed and left the room, walking towards the console room because he would always be waiting for her there. Usually, she'd stand by his side as he flicked switches and pressed buttons, dancing around the console as he showed off, but this time he just smiled at her.   
  
"I think it's your turn this time." He reached out to grab her hand and placed it on the lever, then she felt him slip something into her other hand.  
  
The sonic.  
  
"Ready when you are," she felt his warm breath against her neck and was comforted by him keeping his hand on hers. They'd do it together like the team they were. As they pulled the leaver she felt the weight of the sonic in her hand and held it like a lifeline, because however small she felt she knew there would always be something she could do to help to bring a little light into the dark world.


End file.
